Generator for musical instruments and the like



Feb. 11, 1941. R. GUENTHER GENERATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Romania Guenfber Feb. 11, 1941. R. GUENTHER GENERATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fiamann 6001 76 ef- BY 7 M ATTOR EYS Patented Feb. 11, 1941 2,231,118

uurrso STATES PATENT OFFlCE I GENERATOR FOR MUSICAL IN STRUlVlEN TS AND THE LIKE Itcmann Guenther, Portland, Greg.

Application August 9, 1937, Serial No. 158,186

4 Claims. (Cl. I'll-+209) My invention relates to generators, or means oscillations of different frequencies are obtained for producing electrical currents of predetermined simultaneously from the single rotating elements; frequency, and particularly, to such means when Fig. 5a is similar to Fig. 5 but illustrates a adapted to be used for musical instruments. slightly different construction of the stationary 5 More specifically, my invention relates to genelements;

erators required for use in the type of electric Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a generator similar organ described in my United States Letters Patto that shown in Fig. 5 having multiple groups of cut No.2,089,2(l4. stationary elements, but made with a rotating The object of my invention is to provide a spool instead of a single rotating disk, the conl) means for obtaining induced currents of different struction of the rotating and stationary elements frequencies of oscillation from the same genbeing similar to that of Figs. 3 and 4;

orator, and thus make possible the reducing of Fig. 7 is a vertical section corresponding to the the number of generators required in a complex line ll of Fig. 6; and electrical musical instrument and the reduction Fig. 8 is a further diagrammatic side elevation of the space required for the same. This object similar to that of Fig. 6 but illustrating the pos- 15 I accomplish by providing multiple stationary elesible use of a larger number of groups of stationments for each rotating element and by having ary elements for the purpose of obtaining a larger the multiple stationary elements arranged in number of currents of different frequencies from groups, the members of each of such groups bea single rotating element.

ing so spaced, in reference to the peripheral poles In each of the figures it is assumed that the 2 of the rotating element, that rotation of the latrotating element is rotated at a uniform rate of ter will produce a different frequency of oscillaspeed by any suitable means (not shown). tion in each group. Referring first to Fig. l, the rotating element The forms in which I construct the stationary comprises a disk a of fiber or other suitable maand rotating elements for accomplishing the terial rigidly attached to a shaft (2. An iron 25 above mentioned and incidental objects of my ring a2 is mounted on the periphery of the disk invention will be apparent from the following dea, and the outer periphery of the ring (12 is scription with reference to the accompanying formed with a number of equal sized and equally drawings. spaced iron poles or Wound fingers a3. Between :10 In the drawings, all of which are more or less the poles a3 are stub radial projections at. The 39 diagrammaticpoles a3 are Wound serially and identically with Fig. 1 illustrates a simple form of generator, the Wire a5. One end of the wire at is attached similar to that illustrated in my United States to an iron ring at while the other end of the wire Patent No. 2,089,204, application for which was, all is similarly attached to an iron ring al. The

filed January 27, 1936, but, for the purpose of rings a6 and al are mounted on the disk a, but simplicity, shown with only a single stationary are insulated from each other. A pair of brushes element; bl and b2 bear on the rings at and al, respec- Fig. 2 illustrates a generator also similar to tively. These brushes are connected to a source that referred to in my United States Patent No. of direct current (not shown) by means of con- 2,089,204, but with the poles on the periphery of ductors b3 and b4. Thus the current passing 40 the rotating element comprising permanent magthru the wire a5 converts the poles a3 into a plunets instead of wound or electro-magnets; rality of similar eleotro-magnets. The stub Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modification of the radial projections a l constitute poles of opposite generator of Fig. 1 in which a double rotor or fields to those of the extremities of the Wound metal spool is substituted for the single rotating poles 0:3. It is possible, however, to omit the stub 45 disk, Fig. 3 being a plan view and Fig. 4 a verradial projections at entirely. tlcal section on the line 44 of Fig. 3; In Fig. l, 0 indicates the stationary element or Fig. 5 illustrates how I carry out the principle secondary coil which is wound with the wire 0.

of my invention by using a rotating element or As the disk a rotates, the revolving electro-rnag- 5{) disk similar to that shown in Fig. 1, by providnetic poles a3 will produce oscillations in the ing multiple stationary elements similar to the stationary element or secondary coil 0 in accordsingle stationary element shown in Fig. l, and by ance with Lenzs law. The frequency of the osarranging and connecting the stationary elevcillations thus produced will depend upon the ments in groups, adjacent the circle described by speed with which disk a is rotated and upon the the extremities of the rotating element, whereby number of magnetic poles a3 on the periphery of the rotating element. The wiring c of the stationary element or secondary coil is connected to the apparatus for which the current of predetermined frequency is desired, for example, to a transformer in the electric organ described in my United States Patent No. 2,089,204.

In Fig. 2 a series of equal sized, equally spaced, permanent magnets d are mounted radially on the periphery of a disk (1, the disk (I being made of fiber or suitable material similar to the disk 11 in Fig. 1, and the disk (1 being rigidly attached to a shaft d2. In this figure e and e2 are the stationary elements or coils, each of which is similar to the stationary coil 0 of Fig. 1. The winding of the coils e and e2 is identical and this winding is connected to the conductors e3 and e4, as indicated. The stationary coils e and 62 are so placed, with respect to the tips of the revolving magnets d, as to be influenced simultaneously. Any number of stationary secondary coils may be used in this manner in place of the single coil 0 shown in Fig. 1. When such coils are arranged in the manner explained with reference to Fig. 2, increasing the number of coils does not affect the rapidity of the resulting number of oscillations but does serve to increase the strength of the oscillations produced in the stationary element.

Thus rotation of the disk d of Fig. 2 produces oscillations of a particular frequency, depending upon the speed of rotation and upon the number of the magnetic poles on the periphery, just as occurs with the rotation of the disk a of Fig. l, the only difference in the two constructions being that no outside source of electric current is required in the construction shown in Fig. 2.

Instead of the simple rotating disk of Fig. l, I have found it practical also to use a compound rotor or metal spool of the type illustrated on Figs. 3 and 4, in which the flanges f and f2 of the spool constitute parallel disks rotating in unison and connected by the metal drum f3. The The peripheries of the flanges f and f2 are identically formed with equally sized, equally spaced, radial fingers f4 (illustrated in Fig. 4). Metal rings f5 and 6 are attached to the flanges f and )2, respectively, but insulated from the.

flanges and from the drum f3. A wire f1 is wound upon the drum f3, the ends of the wire being connected to the rings [5 and f6. Brushes f8 and f9 contact the rings f5 and f6, respectively, which brushes are connected, thru the medium of conductors fill and fl l, to a source of direct current (not shown).

It will be apparent from Fig. 3 that the passage of current thru the wire winding on drum f3 will produce an electro-magnet and that the flanges f and f2 will constitute opposite poles of the electro-magnet thus formed.

For the stationary element g in this construction illustrated in Fig. 3, I use a pair of parallel metal bars or fingers g and g2 rigidly connected to the ends of a metal shaft 93 corresponding in length to the length of the drum f3. The wire g4 is wound on the shaft g3. Thus the parallel bars or fingers g and g2 lie in the same planes with the flanges f and f2, respectively, and rotation of the flanges f and f2 will produce induced oscillations in the wiring 94, similar to that produced in the stationary coil 0 of Fig. 1. It would be possible in this construction to omit one of the flanges, for example I and the corresponding finger g and obtain the induced oscillations in the wiring 94 from the rotation of only one fingered flange, but I have found it preferable with this spool form to use the two flanges as illustrated.

In Fig. 5 the rotating element 71 is to be understood as similar to that in Fig. l, but, for the sake of simplicity, is shown with only four peripheral poles or wound fingers h. The stationary elements, however, are arranged in three separate groups. The first group contains only the single stationary or secondary coil similar to the coil 0 of Fig. 1, but, because of the large space between the peripheral poles h, is preferably made with a broader cooperating surface '2 to prevent too great a comparative interval between impulses as the poles h successively pass by the surface '2. The second group of stationary elements contains two coils '3 and 9'4 so spaced that the revolving poles h influence each alternately and at equally spaced intervals of time. The windings of these coils are connected to the primary coils 9'5 and 9'6, respectively, of a transformer 9'1. The secondary coil of this transformer, 9'8, is connected to the instrument or apparatus for which the oscillations of predetermined frequency are desired. With this arrangement the oscillations received thru such secondary coil 9'8 of the transformer 91 will be double the frequency of those obtained from a single stationary element 9". Similarly, the third group of stationary elements is composed of four such elements, namely, 99, 9'"), 9H and '12, equally spaced in the circular path about the periphery of the rotating element It in such manner that only one of them will be influenced at a time and there will be equal intervals between the induced successive impulses. These elements 99, 9'), 9' and 9'I2 composing the third group, are each connected to a primary coil of the transformer 13 in a manner similar to that already described. The secondary coil 9' M of the transformer 9' I3 is connected to the instrument or apparatus the same as the secondary coil '8 of the transformer 9'1. Thus, it will be evident from Fig. 5 that with each complete rotation of the element It, with it four peripheral poles 71, four impulses will be obtained thru the winding of the stationary coil or element 9", eight impulses will be obtained thru the secondary coil 98 of the transformer 9'1, and 16 impulses will be obtained thru the secondary coil 9' of the transformer 9'l3. Thus, impulses or oscillations of three different frequencies are obtained from a single r0- tating element or generator, and by using this means for carrying out my invention in the electric organ described in my Patent No. 2,089,204,

it is possible to obtain vibrations for one note,

another note an octave above, and a further note two octaves above, simultaneously from the same single rotating disk or element. This may be carried out even still further in the manner to be indicated later.

The two groups of multiple stationary elements represented by 93, '4 and '9, 10, 9'! I, '12 in Fig. 5 might also be constructed in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5a, in which s and s2 correspond to 9'3 and 94 of Fig. 5 and s3, s4, s5, s8 correspond to 9'9, 9'), 9| I, 9'l2 of Fig. 5. But 8 and s2 are integral and require only the single winding 31; and similarly s3, s4, s5, s8 are integral requiring only the single wiring $8. In other words, referring to Fig. 5a, as the rotating element t rotates, the same number of oscillations is obtained thru the wire s1 as would be obtained thru the coil 78 in Fig. 5; and, similarly, the same number thru wire s8 of Fig. So as thru the coil 9 of Fig. 5.

It would, of course, be possible, by following the method illustrated in Fig. 2, to have permanent magnets on the periphery of the rotating element 15 of Fig. 5a. Also it would be possible to have the rotating element t of unmagnetized iron and have the stationary elements of Fig. 50, constituting permanent magnets, but, with such construction, it would be necessary to employ amplifiers for the resulting current obtained.

In Fig. 5 I have represented the rotating element h as similar in construction to the rotating element a in Fig. 1. However, in place of the single rotating disk, it is possible and practical to use a rotating spool following the construction already described with reference to Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate such construction used with the same grouping of the stationary elements as illustrated in Fig. 5. Thus, in Figs. 6 and 7 the rotating element comprises a rotating spool having flanges k and k2 connected by a drum k3 which is wound with the wiring M, the wiring being connected to the insulated rings hi and let, on which brushes bear, as already described with reference to Fig. 3. The flanges k and it! are each provided with identical, equally spaced, peripheral radial fingers k9.

Each of the stationary elements 122, m2, m3, m4, m5, m6 and m] is constructed similarly to the stationary element g of Fig. 3. The transformers to which the groups of multiple stationary elements are connected are not shown in Figs. 6 and 7, but are to be understood as arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 8 the construction is similar to that of 6, but the flanges of the rotating element or spool have a greater number of radial fingers 0 than the rotating element illustrated in Fig. 6. Also there are four groups of stationary elements instead of the three groups of Fig. 6. The construction of the stationary elements, however, is the same, the only change being in the number and arrangement. Accordingly, in Fig. 8 the stationary elements p2 and p3 together constitute a group and are connected to a transformer (not shown) similar to the manner illustrated in Fig. 5; p4, p5, p6 and p1 constitute another group; and p8, p9, plO, pl I, pl2, pl3, PM and M5 constitute a still further group. It will be noted that the last mentioned group, 1:8 to M5, extend about the perimeter of the rotating flanges for a distance greater than that corresponding to the space between two consecutive fingers o. However, the tips of the members 118 to plE of this group of stationary elements are so arranged that only one of the elements of this group will be influenced at a single instant. Thus, in Fig. 8, element pl5 will be influenced first as o rotates in a clockwise direction, 128 will next be influenced, then p14, then p9, and so on. Each complete rotation of the rotating element 0 of Fig. 8, since this element is shown with the flanges having 16 peripheral fingers, will cause the stationary element p to furnish 16 impulses or oscillations, the second group p2, 123 to furnish 32 oscillations, the third group p4 to p! to furnish 64 oscillations and the fourth group p8 to M5 to furnish 128 oscillations.

Obviously it is possible to provide various other arrangements and combinations of the elements of my generator, and to make further modifications in the structure of the rotating or stationary elements, without departing from the principle of my invention. I have suggested in the above description several practical forms in which my invention may be carried out for the purposes desired. It is not my intention, however, to limit my invention to the particular designs or specific forms of construction described or illustrated.

I claim:

1. In a device for producing a plurality of electrical currents of predetermined frequencies of oscillation, a rotating member having a plurality of similar, equally-spaced projections of magnetic material on its periphery, the outer extremities of said projections being all in the same plane, a serial winding on said projections, means electrically connecting said Winding to a source of electrical current, said winding so arranged as to cause said projections to constitute magnets of similar strength and polarity, a plurality of groups of stationary elements composed of magnetic material and located adjacent the circular path of said projections of said rotating member and adapted to be excited by the movement of said projections, the elements in a single group being similar and equally-spaced, but the number and spacing of elements being different in each group, means, including windings, for obtaining and collecting induced electrical oscillations from the excitation of the elements in each group, whereby combinations of induced oscillations of different frequencies for notes of dif ferent pitch, will be produced simultaneously through said groups by the rotation of said rotating member.

2. In a device for producing a plurality of electrical currents of predetermined frequencies of oscillation, a rotating member having a plurality of similar, equally-spaced fingers composed of magnetic material on its periphery, said fingers so arranged that their outer extremities will be in the same plane, a winding on said fingers, means electrically connecting said winding to a source of electrical current, said winding so arranged as to cause said fingers to constitute magnets of similar strength and polarity, a plurality of groups of stationary elements, said elements composed of magnetic material and located adjacent the circular path of said fingers of said rotating member and adapted to be excited by the movement of said fingers, the elements in a single group being similar and equallyspaced, but the number and spacing of the elements being different for each group, a winding on each element, a transformer for each group of elements, the windings in each group connected to primary coils of the transformer, whereby combinations of induced oscillations of different frequencies for notes of different pitch will be produced simultaneously through said transformers by the rotation of said rotating member.

3. In a device for producing a plurality of electrical currents of predetermined frequencies of oscillation, a rotating member having a plurality of similar, equally-spaced projections of magnetic material on its periphery, said projections so arranged that their outer extremities will be in the same plane, a serial winding on said projections, means electrically connecting said winding to a source of electrical current, said winding so arranged as to cause said projections to constitute magnets of similar strength and polarity, a plurality of stationary elements composed of magnetic material located adjacent the circular path of said projections of said rotating member and adapted to be excited by the movement of said projections, said stationary elements arranged in groups, all the elements in a single group being similar and equally-spaced, but the number and spacing of said elements being different for each group, the elements of each group being connected to a magnetic core, windings on said cores, whereby induced oscillations of different frequencies will be produced simultaneously in said latter-mentioned windings by the rotation of said rotating member.

4. In a device for producing a plurality of electrical currents of predetermined frequencies of oscillation, a rotating member composed of magnetic material having a plurality of similar, equally-spaced fingers on its periphery, a winding on said member, means electrically connecting said winding to a source of electrical current, said member, fingers and Winding so arranged as to cause said fingers to constitute magnets of similar strength and polarity, a plurality of groups of stationary elements of magnetic material located adjacent the circular path of said fingers of said rotating member and adapted to be excited by the movement of said fingers, all the elements in a group being similar and equallyspaced, but the number and spacing of said elements being different in each group, windings connected to said groups for converting the excitation of said elements into induced oscillations produced in each group of stationary elements, whereby induced oscillations of difierent frequencies for notes of different pitch will be produced simultaneously through said groups by the rotation of said rotating member.

ROMANN GUENTHER. 

